American Military Newshttps://americanmilitarynews.com
News about the world, global affairs, geopolitics, conflict, military, politics and viral.Mon, 21 Jan 2019 23:00:31 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.8OK state agency left millions of files unsecured, including sensitive FBI datahttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/ok-state-agency-left-millions-of-files-unsecured-including-sensitive-fbi-data/
Mon, 21 Jan 2019 23:00:31 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1661475A cybersecurity research team discovered millions of files unsecured and open to the public on a server belonging to the Oklahoma Department of Securities, it reported Wednesday. The UpGuard Data Breach Research team said it found three terabytes and millions of files that could have been accessed by virtually anyone. The data included names of …Read more]]>

A cybersecurity research team discovered millions of files unsecured and open to the public on a server belonging to the Oklahoma Department of Securities, it reported Wednesday.

The UpGuard Data Breach Research team said it found three terabytes and millions of files that could have been accessed by virtually anyone. The data included names of AIDS patients, details about FBI investigations and personally identifiable information about 100,000 financial brokers.

The research group reported the vulnerability to the department. It’s not known whether anyone else accessed the data.

According to UpGuard’s report, it appears the server has been active since at least November. The cybersecurity researchers found the server on Dec. 7, and notified the department the next day. Public access to the server was removed immediately, UpGuard said, and the data was only vulnerable for about a week.

The data found on the server includes information about those involved in the exchange of financial securities, including organizations and individuals. According to the report, it appears the oldest data was generated in 1986 and it was most recently modified in 2016.

One database contained about 10,000 social security numbers of brokers.

Another document contained birth info, gender and other identifying characteristics like eye color for 100,000 brokers.

UpGuard also reported it found a database that contained information about people with AIDS who were selling life insurance benefits, including names and T cell counts.

For the past eight years, the state has attempted to consolidate its IT infrastructure under one umbrella, a department within the Office of Management and Enterprise Services. Unlike most other state agencies, the Oklahoma Department of Securities opted not to consolidate.

OMES is in the process of reaching out to the Securities Department and urging them to contact the FBI. An OMES spokeswoman said the Oklahoma Cyber Command had no visibility of the Securities Department’s computer systems and did not vet the vendor the department chose.

A representative for the Securities Department could not be reached for comment.

This kind of breach-and-report activity is used by white-hat hackers to expose and correct vulnerabilities that could lead to a personal data theft. UpGuard also provides cybersecurity services.

The group’s report notes that the Securities Department’s website appears to be the least secure of all sites with an ok.gov address. UpGuard found the site was running a on a web server that is no longer supported by its manufacturer, which could allow a malicious hacker to take control.

UpGuard said it found passwords that could let hackers remotely access Securities Department workstations. A spreadsheet contained login information and passwords for several internet services, including antivirus software.

]]>US envoy blasts Russia’s ‘irresponsible’ behavior, calls for ‘demonstrable steps’ to save INF Treatyhttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/us-envoy-blasts-russias-irresponsible-behavior-calls-for-demonstrable-steps-to-save-inf-treaty/
Mon, 21 Jan 2019 20:48:49 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1661126This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. Washington has again called on Moscow to take “demonstrable steps” to save a key Cold War arms-control treaty, and reiterated claims that Russia’s behavior is not that of a “responsible state actor.” The United States “increasingly finds that Russia cannot be trusted …Read more]]>

This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.

Washington has again called on Moscow to take “demonstrable steps” to save a key Cold War arms-control treaty, and reiterated claims that Russia’s behavior is not that of a “responsible state actor.”

The United States “increasingly finds that Russia cannot be trusted to comply with its arms-control obligations, and that its coercive and malign actions around the globe have increased tensions,” Robert Wood, the U.S. ambassador to the UN-sponsored Conference on Disarmament, said on January 21, amid severely strained relations between Moscow and Washington.

The United States said it will exit the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in early February if Russia does not dismantle the weapon that Washington says violates it.

“Inertia will not drive policy in the Trump administration and the United States will not stand idly by when others cheat on international agreements,” the U.S. envoy warned.

Following Wood’s comments, Russia’s deputy disarmament ambassador, Aleksandr Deineko, said that “making one-sided allegations is not a constructive way forward.”

“We shall not yield to any ultimatums, like to liquidate or to eliminate a missile that does not fall within the range of a treaty’s prohibitions,” Deineko told Reuters in Geneva.

Speaking last week following talks in the Swiss city on the INF Treaty, a senior U.S. official said Moscow was refusing to allow proper inspection of the missile system that Washington says violates the accord.

]]>Some Central American migrants go home as thousands push north in new caravanhttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/some-central-american-migrants-go-home-as-thousands-push-north-in-new-caravan/
Mon, 21 Jan 2019 19:11:04 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1660954Daniel Rodriguez Perdomo endured cold, hunger, sickness, fear and loneliness as he joined thousands of Central Americans who made their way to the Tijuana-San Diego border last fall. But even with cousins in Tijuana and a job at a car wash, the 24-year-old migrant went back to Honduras last week, unwilling to stay in Mexico …Read more]]>

Daniel Rodriguez Perdomo endured cold, hunger, sickness, fear and loneliness as he joined thousands of Central Americans who made their way to the Tijuana-San Diego border last fall.

But even with cousins in Tijuana and a job at a car wash, the 24-year-old migrant went back to Honduras last week, unwilling to stay in Mexico and abandoning any immediate hopes of crossing to the United States.

“I feel so alone here, I miss my family, my friends, I don’t feel good,” he said as he prepared to return to San Pedro Sula, part of a group of three dozen Central Americans traveling from Tijuana back to their home countries under a program run by the International Organization for Migration.

As thousands of Central American migrants continue to move north in the third large caravan in less than a year, a smaller but steady flow has been going in the opposite direction.

Even after making the arduous journey to Baja California, close to 1,300 members of the group of about 6,000 migrants who arrived in the state last fall have returned home, said Rodulfo Figueroa, who heads the Baja California office of Mexico’s National Migration Institute. More than 90 percent have done so voluntarily, he said.

The largest numbers have gone back after turning themselves over to the Mexican government. But a smaller group has received assistance from the International Organization for Migration, under a program financed by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.

Through Jan. 15, the IOM’s Mexico office had carried out 520 assisted returns, with 127 of them from Tijuana.

Most first came into contact with the IOM at El Barretal, the provisional shelter run by the Mexican federal government in eastern Tijuana. Before they were accepted, they were interviewed to ensure that they do not face danger back home. They also needed travel documents from their home countries, and documentation from Mexican authorities.

“Some people have come to the realization that this did not meet their expectation, or perhaps they have a family situation that calls them back home,” said Christopher Gascon, who heads the IOM’s office in Mexico City.

The migrants are not just sent back. They get support on their journeys, including meals and psychological assistance.

“They are fully accompanied all the way through,” Gascon said. By traveling with the IOM, “one of the big differences is that there is no detention, no presence in a migratory station,” he said.

Nelson Jesus Ceballo, 18, said he joined last October’s caravan in hopes of finding work in the United States and sending money home to his mother and four siblings in the Copan region of Honduras.

“That was the dream, but things got complicated,” he said. Like many, he realized that crossing to the United States would not be easy. The final straw came New Year’s Day, he said, when a group of about 150 migrants urged on by U.S. activists rushed the border fence and were met with tear gas.

“They sent the gas toward all of us, even children,” he said. “I didn’t like it, I told my cousin that I don’t want to cross here.”

Ceballo was among the latest IOM group made up of 32 men and three women who boarded an Aeromexico flight Jan. 14 from Tijuana, arriving hours later in Tapachula in southern Mexico near the Guatemalan border. From there, they took land transportation to their destinations in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. By Thursday, all were all safely back home.

While many caravan members have said they fear for their lives back in their countries, members of this group said it was poverty and lack of opportunity that drove them out.

Rodriguez was living with his father in Rivera Hernandez, a high-crime area of San Pedro Sula, but said he had managed to stay away from gangs. He had a job at a T-shirt factory, where he earned just over $61 a week.

A cousin urged him to join the caravan. “People told me that crossing would be easy,” he said. For 10 days, “I was thinking and thinking and thinking, and when the moment came, I didn’t want to go, but my cousin said, ‘we’ll help you, we’ll cross together’,” he said. “But then I saw it wasn’t so.”

Luis Enrique Rodriguez, a 36-year-old laborer from Guatemala, said he had been thinking for years about working in the United States. “I’d see people coming from there build their houses and purchase their own land,” he said. “And I don’t have my own house or my own land.”

On the journey to the border “there was a moment I thought I couldn’t go on,” he said. “But at no moment did I think of going back.”

But once at the border, he realized how difficult it would be to make it across. He said tried three times to cross through an opening in the border fence in eastern Tijuana. The moment he stepped across, he was met by U.S. Border Patrol agents and U.S. soldiers, he said. “No America, no America,” they shouted, and he stepped back into Mexico.

]]>VIDEO: 9 dead in ship explosion off Russian coasthttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/video-9-dead-in-ship-explosion-off-russian-coast/
Mon, 21 Jan 2019 17:58:12 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1660602Two ships are on fire in the Kerch Strait after an apparent explosion that killed at least nine sailors. The Russian Maritime Agency, Rosmorrechflot, said that one of the ships suffered an explosion, causing it and a nearby ship to catch fire. “Fourteen people have been rescued. Nine bodies have been retrieved from water,” a …Read more]]>

Two ships are on fire in the Kerch Strait after an apparent explosion that killed at least nine sailors.

The Russian Maritime Agency, Rosmorrechflot, said that one of the ships suffered an explosion, causing it and a nearby ship to catch fire.

“Fourteen people have been rescued. Nine bodies have been retrieved from water,” a Rosmorrechflot spokesperson told Russian news agency Tass.

Black smoke clouds can be seen pouring from the fiery vessel. Nearby, two ships are visible as they assisted in crew rescue efforts.

“A message was received about a fire on a gas tanker south of Cape Opuk, the ship was transferring cargo to the next one, an explosion occurred, and the fire went over to the next ship,” an unnamed source told Interfax.

“Two ships are burning under the flag of Tanzania. 31 crew members evacuated independently into the water: 17 and 14, respectively, from each of the ships. All are alive and in the water,” the source added.

The sailors are Indian and Turkish nationals, according to Interfax.

“We received information from passing ships that on one of the two vessels that were nearby, apparently, there was a transshipment of fuel, there was a clap with an outbreak. At first, the fire on one ship became noticeable, then spread to the second,” the Rosmorrechflot spokesperson told Interfax.

The ships, “Kandy” and “Maestro” were anchored in neutral waters during the exchange of cargo.

“The fire, according to the passing ships, occurred on one of the two ships, then spread to another ship,” said a spokesperson for Rosmorrechflot.

A blast occurred aboard a ship transporting natural gas thru Kerch Strait while cargo was being moved between it and another ship. The two vessels are now engulfed in flames & more than two dozen sailors are overboard, @KerchFM & @interfax_news report. https://t.co/4wPh614j5J

]]>Another suicide attack targets US forces in Syriahttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/another-suicide-attack-targets-us-forces-in-syria/
Mon, 21 Jan 2019 17:00:36 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1660421U.S. forces were targeted again Monday when a suicide bomber drove a car toward a joint U.S.-Kurdish convoy and blew it up 11 yards from a checkpoint in northeastern Syria. There were no U.S. casualties, according to a statement from the U.S.-led coalition. One Kurdish policeman was lightly injured, according to a statement from the …Read more]]>

U.S. forces were targeted again Monday when a suicide bomber drove a car toward a joint U.S.-Kurdish convoy and blew it up 11 yards from a checkpoint in northeastern Syria.

There were no U.S. casualties, according to a statement from the U.S.-led coalition. One Kurdish policeman was lightly injured, according to a statement from the Kurdish-led militia group.

“We will continue to review the situation and provide updates as appropriate,” said the coalition statement.

The attack near the town of Shadidi came as the United States begins to draw down its presence in Syria and other countries step up their activity there. Israel launched a multi-pronged attack on military targets in Syria late Sunday night, several hours after its air defense system intercepted a missile launched at a ski slope crowded with winter revelers.

Israeli authorities said the missile was launched by Iranian troops stationed in Syria. It appeared to be a response to an earlier bombing of an airport south of Damascus that was attributed to Israel.

Meanwhile, the Turkish army and the Syrian rebels associated with it, Russian-backed Syrian government troops and Islamic State all appear poised to take advantage of a U.S. drawdown.

Amaq, an agency affiliated with Islamic State, confirmed a “martyrdom-seeker” had targeted the joint U.S.-Kurdish convoy. It did not elaborate.

Though no one was killed, Monday’s hit underscores the instability of Syria, with a multitude of forces vying for control even as Israel has upped the ante on its anti-Iran campaign in the country.

The attack is the second in two weeks to target America’s presence in the country.

The first, on Wednesday, was the deadliest attack on U.S. forces since their entry into Syria’s complicated battlefield. An Islamic State suicide bomber walked into a restaurant in the Kurdish-controlled city of Manbij where U.S. coalition forces and Kurdish militiamen were eating lunch.

He detonated his vest, killing four Americans — two soldiers and two contractors — along with five Kurdish civilians and a number of militiamen.

The U.S. heads a coalition of countries against Islamic State and has worked with Syrian Kurdish fighters to claw back wide swaths of territory comprising what the group called its caliphate.

The Kurds, meanwhile, have leveraged that support and their military victories to administer areas abandoned by the state in Damascus. U.S. officials tout them as a viable alternative to the rule of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

But that arrangement appears to be coming to an end, following President Trump’s repeated statements that he would withdraw from Syria and leave the objective of fighting Islamic State to Turkey. He has said that Islamic State is defeated, although others in his administration acknowledge that the organization remains intact and dangerous, if significantly degraded.

Trump has been unclear regarding the timing of such a withdrawal, but any pullout by U.S. forces would likely doom the Kurds’ long-term project.

Turkey, a U.S. NATO ally, views the Kurdish militia in Syria, which calls itself the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, as a proxy for an insurgent group at home that seeks an independent Kurdish homeland. Turkish President Recep Tayyep Erdogan has threatened to mobilize Syrian rebels on his side as well as Turkish troops to uproot the YPG.

U.S. administration envoys have tried to coax guarantees from Erdogan that the Kurds holding areas in northeastern Syria will not be crushed in a Turkish incursion.

The Israeli attack on targets in Syria appeared to be an escalation from other recent strikes, and was also unusual in that Israel announced it publicly, a change from its usual policy. At about 2 a.m. Monday, the Israeli army said it had “started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory.”

Iran’s Quds brigades are a unit of its elite Revolutionary Guards Corps responsible for intelligence and foreign operations.

The Israeli army warned the Syrian military against any attempt “to harm Israeli forces or territory.”

The Iranian troops are fighting a long, withering battle to preserve Assad’s government, in cooperation with the Russian military, which has become the predominant force in Syria.

On Monday, the Russian armed forces issued a statement saying that four Syrian soldiers were killed and six were wounded in the Israeli strikes, and added that Syrian air defense batteries destroyed more than 30 Israeli cruise missiles and guided bombs.

The Israeli military did not verify the claim, but army spokesman Jonathan Conricus said that several Syrian air defense batteries were destroyed alongside Iranian weapons caches, and that the missile aimed at the Mt. Hermon ski resort was launched “by Iranian troops from an area which the relevant parties” — an apparent reference to Russia —”had assured Israel were free of Iranian troops.”

]]>Green Beret to face hearing in March for killing Taliban bomb maker in 2010https://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/green-beret-to-face-hearing-in-march-for-killing-taliban-bomb-maker-in-2010/
Mon, 21 Jan 2019 16:22:19 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1660242A court hearing date has been set for Maj. Matthew Golsteyn, the Green Beret accused of murdering a Taliban bomb maker in 2010. Golsteyn will appear in court on March 14 for a preliminary Article 32 hearing to determine if enough evidence exists to proceed with a court-martial, according to a news release by the …Read more]]>

A court hearing date has been set for Maj. Matthew Golsteyn, the Green Beret accused of murdering a Taliban bomb maker in 2010.

Golsteyn will appear in court on March 14 for a preliminary Article 32 hearing to determine if enough evidence exists to proceed with a court-martial, according to a news release by the U.S. Army Special Operations Command last week.

“This is an initial step towards determining whether Major Mathew Golsteyn violated Article 118 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Premediated Murder,” the release stated.

“This will be Matt’s first opportunity to face witnesses who claim to have information that is incriminating against him,” Golsteyn’s attorney, Phillip Stackhouse, told Task & Purpose. “The additional time also allows Matt to complete obligations he had accepted with the International Association of Fire Fighters – where he has served as the chief operating officer for approximately two – years, until his status in the Army was unilaterally changed with no due process rights.”

The decision was made last month – on Dec. 18, 2018 – though news of the hearing has only just surfaced. The hearing will take place at Fort Bragg, N.C.

“Major Golsteyn has been, and will continue to be, provided with the respect and privileges his rank commands while awaiting completion of the just legal process,” the release added.

In a statement issued through his attorney in November 2018, Golsteyn said, “If it’s true [the Army] now want[s] to prosecute me for allegations that have already been resolved — this vindictive abuse of power must know no limit.”

His wife, Julie Golsteyn, appeared on Fox & Friends last month, during which she said, “He was lucky enough to survive war and has come home to be ripped apart by his own government and the Army leadership. It is extremely disappointing and absolutely reprehensible what they have done to him.”

Hours after Julie Golsteyn’s defense of her husband, President Donald Trump tweeted a vow to review Golsteyn’s case.

“At the request of many, I will be reviewing the case of a ‘U.S. Military hero,’ Major Matt Golsteyn, who is charged with murder. He could face the death penalty from our own government after he admitted to killing a Terrorist bomb maker while overseas,” Trump said.

At the request of many, I will be reviewing the case of a “U.S. Military hero,” Major Matt Golsteyn, who is charged with murder. He could face the death penalty from our own government after he admitted to killing a Terrorist bomb maker while overseas. @PeteHegseth@FoxNews

During a job interview with the CIA in 2010, Golsteyn first admitted that he’d killed the bomb maker. He said he believed he was obeying the rules of engagement for killing the militant due to the bomb components surrounding the man, which made him an “armed combatant.”

Additionally, he said he knew ahead of time that the militant was responsible for two other U.S. service members’ deaths and making bombs, proving to be “a demonstrated threat to my guys,” Golsteyn had told investigators.

After a subsequent investigation, he was cleared of wrongdoing in 2015 when the Army determined there was insufficient evidence to charge him, and subsequently closed the investigation.

“The Golsteyn Case and Civilian Oversight in Military Justice,” the latest from Charlie Dunlap https://t.co/RomvcxwVpi

The case remained closed until Golsteyn’s Oct. 2016 appearance on Fox News with Brett Baer, during which he admitted killing the bomb maker after he identified the militant as the person responsible for the bomb making and U.S. service member deaths.

“It is an inevitable outcome that people who are cooperating with the coalition forces, when identified, will suffer some terrible torture or be killed,” Golsteyn told Baer at the time.

The murder charge against Golsteyn was announced in December 2018, two years after the Army was supposed to be deciding whether he would be retired or separated from the branch.

]]>US lawmakers reintroduce legislation to sanction China over abuse of Uyghurs in XUARhttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/us-lawmakers-reintroduce-legislation-to-sanction-china-over-abuse-of-uyghurs-in-xuar/
Mon, 21 Jan 2019 16:00:10 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1658843This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission. U.S. lawmakers have reintroduced legislation that would hold China accountable for rights abuses against ethnic Uyghurs in its Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), where more than 1 million people are believed to have been held in “political re-education camps” over the past two …Read more]]>

This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission.

U.S. lawmakers have reintroduced legislation that would hold China accountable for rights abuses against ethnic Uyghurs in its Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), where more than 1 million people are believed to have been held in “political re-education camps” over the past two years.

The bipartisan “Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act,” put forward Thursday by U.S. Senators Marco Rubio of Florida and Bob Menendez of New Jersey, would dedicate new resources from the U.S. State Department, FBI, and other intelligence agencies to documenting abuse of Uyghurs and other ethnic Muslims in the XUAR, as well as Beijing’s intimidation of U.S. citizens and residents on American soil.

“The United States must hold Chinese government and Communist Party officials responsible for gross human rights violations and possible crimes against humanity, including the internment in ‘political reeducation’ camps of a million or more Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim minorities,” said Rubio, who co-chairs the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC).

“The State Department has indicated that it is leading an interagency effort within the Administration to develop policy options in response to this brutal campaign of repression. The time for action is now.”

Since April 2017, authorities have detained up to 1.1 million Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities accused of harboring “strong religious views” and “politically incorrect” ideas in a vast network of re-education camps throughout the XUAR.

These extrajudicial detentions have accompanied intrusive security measures that include ramped up surveillance techniques and the collection of DNA, as well as policies aimed at diluting ethnic identity, such as controls over the right to worship, use of language, and even personal appearance.

While Beijing initially denied the existence of re-education camps, the chairman of the XUAR government, Shohrat Zakir, told China’s official Xinhua news agency in October that the facilities are an effective tool to protect the country from terrorism and provide vocational training for Uyghurs.

But reporting by RFA’s Uyghur Service and other media organizations has shown that those held in the camps are detained against their will, are subjected to political indoctrination and rough treatment at the hands of their overseers, and endure poor diets and unhygienic conditions in the often overcrowded facilities. The atmosphere is more like a prison than any kind of school, multiple sources say.

Rubio and immediate past CECC co-chair U.S. Representative Chris Smith recently called the situation in the XUAR “the largest mass incarceration of a minority population in the world today.”

Act proposals

The “Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act” would require the Director of National Intelligence to issue a report in coordination with the State Department on the security threat posed by China’s crackdown on the Uyghurs, as well as a list of Chinese companies involved in the construction and the operation of re-education camps in the XUAR.

It also calls for the establishment of a new position at the State Department that would oversee developments in the region while the crackdown persists.

Additionally, the FBI would be required to provide information to and protect U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents from Chinese government harassment and intimidation on American soil.

The act specifically mentioned efforts to intimidate RFA employees, after China detained close relatives of several of RFA’s Uyghur Service reporters in apparent retaliation for their coverage of the XUAR, drawing condemnation from rights groups and media watchdogs.

It urged “high-level U.S. engagement” on the issue, as well as the application of travel and financial sanctions against Chinese officials who are responsible for the policies in the XUAR under the Global Magnitsky Act.

Bob Menendez said in a statement that the proposed legislation is an acknowledgement that the U.S. has entered a new era of strategic competition with China, and highlights the need to ensure those targeted by China’s repressive policies in the region don’t get left behind.

A complimentary bill—HR 649—was proposed Thursday by U.S. Representatives Chris Smith of New Jersey and Tom Suozzi of New York, who warned in a statement that the XUAR has “become nothing short of a police state” and urged fellow lawmakers to “take a stand against this violation of human rights and show the Chinese government that this is unacceptable.”

Earlier legislation

Thursday marked the second time legislation aimed at holding China accountable for its treatment of the Uyghurs was proposed, following the announcement of a similar act in November, which was not taken up by the Senate before the end of the congressional session.

At the time, China’s Ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai threatened retaliation if Washington sanctions Beijing over human rights abuses in the XUAR, telling Reuters news agency in an interview that China is working to “re-educate” terrorists and should not be punished for what he suggested is a more humane approach to counter-terrorism.

It is unclear when the “Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act” or its twin in the House of Representatives might be put to a vote, but the legislation could be prioritized in light of a general frustration with Beijing in Washington over an ongoing trade dispute, jockeying for geopolitical dominance, and allegations of corporate espionage.

Nury Turkel, chairman of the Washington-based Uyghur Human Rights Project exile group, expressed gratitude to the lawmakers for “showing what leadership looks like in the face of crimes against humanity being committed against China’s Turkic Muslims.”

“This bipartisan legislation will not only shed more light on one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises in East Turkestan, but also hold those rights abusers in China accountable,” he said in an interview with RFA, using a name preferred by many Uyghurs to refer to their historic homeland.

“I call on other liberal democracies to put in place similar legislative mandates to protect the Uyghur people, who are facing an existential threat in China. I also urge the other members of Congress to support this bill within this legislative session.”

]]>Taliban assault on Afghan military base kills at least 12https://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/taliban-assault-on-afghan-military-base-kills-at-least-12/
Mon, 21 Jan 2019 15:34:33 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1660246This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. Taliban militants have carried out an assault on a military base in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Maidan Wardak, killing at least 12 people and wounding more than 20 others, officials say. Salem Asgherkhail, head of the area’s public health department, said that …Read more]]>

This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.

Taliban militants have carried out an assault on a military base in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Maidan Wardak, killing at least 12 people and wounding more than 20 others, officials say.

Salem Asgherkhail, head of the area’s public health department, said that most of those killed in the January 21 attack in the provincial capital, Maidan Shahr, were military personnel.

The assault began when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive-laden vehicle, after which three gunmen stormed the compound, igniting a firefight with Afghan security forces, official said.

An unidentified Defense Ministry official in Kabul was quoted as saying that the base housed a training center of Afghanistan’s main intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security.

The official also said that as many as 126 people were killed in the attack.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the group was behind the attack — the latest in near-daily assaults by the militants who now hold sway over nearly half of Afghanistan.

The violence comes despite stepped-up efforts by the United States to find a negotiated end to the country’s 17-year war.

Citing a source close to the talks, the Reuters news agency said that members of the Taliban’s political office in Qatar were meeting with Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special envoy for peace in Afghanistan.

“Talks between Taliban leaders and U.S. officials started today in Qatar,” Taliban spokesman Mujahid said in a statement.

Khalilzad ended his visit to Pakistan on January 20 after meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Efforts to negotiate a peace deal to end the fighting in Afghanistan have been beset by disagreement, with the Taliban refusing to hold direct talks with Afghan officials.

]]>US warship Donald Cook heads to Black Sea for ‘security operations’https://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/us-warship-donald-cook-heads-to-black-sea-for-security-operations/
Mon, 21 Jan 2019 15:00:04 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1658701This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. The U.S. Navy says the USS Donald Cook is heading to the Black Sea to conduct maritime security operations and enhance maritime stability with NATO allies in the region. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer was navigating the Dardanelles Strait in Turkey on …Read more]]>

This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.

The U.S. Navy says the USS Donald Cook is heading to the Black Sea to conduct maritime security operations and enhance maritime stability with NATO allies in the region.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer was navigating the Dardanelles Strait in Turkey on January 19 as it headed north toward the Black Sea, the U.S. Navy said in a statement.

“The U.S. Navy routinely operates in the Black Sea consistent with the Montreux Convention and international law,” the statement said.

It did not say when it expected the ship to reach the Black Sea, but the TASS news agency quoted the Russian Defense Ministry’s Defense Control Center as saying it is “tracking the movements” of the Donald Cook, which according to international convention may stay in the Black Sea for no longer than 21 days.

Tensions in the region have been heightened since November 25 when Russian security forces fired on, boarded, and then seized three Ukrainian vessels near the Kerch Strait, which links the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

Moscow claims the Ukrainian vessels illegally entered Russian territorial waters near Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that Russia occupied and took over in 2014. It is holding 24 Ukrainian sailors for possible trial on charges of illegal border crossing.

The United States, European Union, and other Western countries have called for their release.

“The United States and the U.S. Navy continue to stand alongside our allies in defense of shared regional interests and maritime stability,” Commander Matthew J. Powel, commanding officer of Donald Cook, said in the Navy statement.

“Our arrival into the Black Sea will showcase the Navy’s interoperability in pursuit of common security objectives, enabling us to respond effectively to future crises or deterring aggression,” he added.

Aleksei Pushkov, chairman of the Information Policy Committee of the Russian Federation Council, tweeted that “U.S. warships are becoming frequent visitors to the Black Sea.”

“These visits have nothing to do with U.S. security,” Pushkov wrote, adding: “They should keep away from our coastline.”

U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said in December that there will be no substantial meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin while Moscow still holds the Ukrainian ships and sailors.

Russia moved swiftly to seize control over Crimea after Moscow-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was pushed from power in Kyiv by the pro-European Maidan protest movement in February 2014.

Putin’s government sent troops without insignia to the peninsula, seized key buildings, took control of the regional legislature, and staged a referendum denounced as illegitimate by at least 100 countries at the UN.

Russia also fomented unrest and backed opponents of Kyiv in eastern Ukraine, where more than 10,300 people have been killed in the ensuing conflict since April 2014.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) ruled in November 2016 that the fighting in eastern Ukraine is “an international armed conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.”

]]>Israel confirms air strikes against Iranian forces in Syriahttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/israel-confirms-air-strikes-against-iranian-forces-in-syria/
Mon, 21 Jan 2019 14:00:17 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1658695This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. The Israeli military confirmed early on January 21 that it attacked Iranian military targets in Syria, hours after Israeli forces carried out rare daylight air strikes near Damascus International Airport. The statement was issued shortly after Israeli missile defenses intercepted an incoming …Read more]]>

This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.

The Israeli military confirmed early on January 21 that it attacked Iranian military targets in Syria, hours after Israeli forces carried out rare daylight air strikes near Damascus International Airport.

The statement was issued shortly after Israeli missile defenses intercepted an incoming missile over the Golan Heights in the wake of the Israeli air strikes.

“We have started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory,” the Israeli military statement said. “We warn the Syrian Armed Forces against attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory.”

But a Britain-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported missile strikes near the Damascus airport and in areas around the capital — saying the missiles hit apparent weapons depots of Iranian forces and Lebanon’s Shi’ite militant group Hizballah.

Israel has largely refrained from publicly confirming its military operations in neighboring Syria in order to avoid larger involvement in the eight-year war.

The Syrian military said Israel carried out intensive air strikes with successive waves of guided missiles shortly after 1 a.m. on January 20.

It said Syrian air defenses destroyed most of the missiles before they reached their targets, and Syrian state media said the air defenses repelled an Israeli air strike near the international airport south of Damascus.

State TV said Israel fired six missiles in an area near Damascus International Airport, of which five were shot down and one diverted to nearby empty farmland.

According to a statement from the Russian military, Syrian air defenses destroyed seven projectiles after four Israeli F-16 military planes “fired rockets into Syrian territory.”

Russia and Iran have given Syrian President Bashar al-Assad crucial military and diplomatic support throughout the war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions.

Israel has pledged to stop Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria, carrying out hundreds of air strikes there against Iranian targets and those of Lebanon’s Hizballah.

]]>Former CIA spy Tony Mendez, who smuggled six Americans out of Iran and was the inspiration for ‘Argo,’ dies at 78https://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/former-cia-spy-tony-mendez-who-smuggled-six-americans-out-of-iran-and-was-the-inspiration-for-argo-dies-at-78/
Mon, 21 Jan 2019 13:55:59 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1659731Tony Mendez, the former CIA spy who heroically smuggled six Americans out of Iran in 1980, has died at the age of 78. Mendez, who was portrayed by Ben Affleck in the Oscar-winning movie “Argo,” had been fighting Parkinson’s Disease after being diagnosed 10 years ago. He passed away early Saturday “surrounded with love from …Read more]]>

Tony Mendez, the former CIA spy who heroically smuggled six Americans out of Iran in 1980, has died at the age of 78.

Mendez, who was portrayed by Ben Affleck in the Oscar-winning movie “Argo,” had been fighting Parkinson’s Disease after being diagnosed 10 years ago. He passed away early Saturday “surrounded with love from his family.”

“The last thing he and his wife Jonna Mendez did was get their new book to the publisher and he died feeling he had completed writing the stories that he wanted to be told,” the family said in a statement.

The couple’s latest book, “The Moscow Rules,” will be available on May 21. Tony and Jonna Mendez, who often collaborated on book projects, had been married since 1991.

Tony Mendez was instrumental in the dramatic 1980 rescue after the Americans had taken refuge with a Canadian diplomat in Tehran. They had been able to flee the U.S. Embassy, where 52 American hostages were held for 444 days.

He routinely enlisted the help of makeup artists in his work, and a memoir written in 1999 was titled “The Master of Disguise.”

“Not a lot of people are aware that our disguise program was informed by some of the special effects people in L.A.,” Jonna Mendez previously told NPR.

Tony Mendez told CNN in an interview that he had a staff who “specialized in exfiltrations.”

“And we would be working on preparedness worldwide, prepared to handle the walk-in, for instance, that would knock on your door at midnight and say I want to defect,” he told CNN.

His Iran rescue inspired the 2012 film “Argo,” which won three Oscars, including one for Best Picture. Affleck, who took home a statue as a producer, tweeted Saturday that Mendez was a “true American hero.”

“He was a man of extraordinary grace, decency, humility and kindness,” Affleck wrote. “He never sought the spotlight for his actions, he merely sought to serve his country. I’m so proud to have worked for him and to have told one of his stories.

]]>PHOTOS: Marine vet, ‘Full Metal Jacket’ actor R. Lee Ermey is buried at Arlingtonhttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/photos-marine-vet-full-metal-jacket-actor-r-lee-ermey-is-buried-at-arlington/
Mon, 21 Jan 2019 12:00:40 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1658686R. Lee Ermey, who turned his experience as a Marine Corps drill instructor into a notable role in the Academy Award-nominated 1987 film “Full Metal Jacket,” was buried Friday at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. The website Military.com said nearly 100 friends, family and fans gathered to pay their respects to Ermey, 74, who died in …Read more]]>

R. Lee Ermey, who turned his experience as a Marine Corps drill instructor into a notable role in the Academy Award-nominated 1987 film “Full Metal Jacket,” was buried Friday at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.

The website Military.com said nearly 100 friends, family and fans gathered to pay their respects to Ermey, 74, who died in April due to complications from pneumonia.

The former Marine and Vietnam veteran was accorded a casket team, firing party, bugler and folding and presentation of the American flag, according to the cemetery website. The cemetery said on Twitter that he was buried in Section 82.

The Kansas native served 11 years in the Marines, including a tour as a drill instructor, 14 months in Vietnam and then on Okinawa, where he was promoted to staff sergeant prior to being medically discharged in 1972 for injuries he received during his service.

Ermey racked up more than 60 film and television credits, according to The Associated Press. His first was as a helicopter pilot in “Apocalypse Now,” Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 Vietnam War epic.

He also appeared in “Mississippi Burning,” “Dead Man Walking,” “Toy Story”, “Se7en” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” 2003 remake. He also hosted “Mail Call,” answering questions from viewers about the military on the History Channel from 2002 to 2009.

In retirement, Ermey received an honorary promotion to gunnery sergeant from then-Marine Corps Commandant James Jones in 2002 — the only Marine to hold that honor, according to a GoFundMe fundraising webpage linked to Ermey’s family, friends and supporters.

Ermey in 2006 told Stars and Stripes he considered himself a Marine first.

“My main objective is to try to get people to realize if you have dreams, there’s nothing you can’t accomplish,” he said.

A seven-mile stretch of road in Palmdale, Calif., the town Ermey called home for 24 years, was renamed R. Lee Ermey Avenue in November. Plans called for placing grooves on the road surface that play the “The Marines’ Hymn” as tires pass over them.

]]>Army Ranger wounded in Afghanistan remembered as positive, dedicated soldierhttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/army-ranger-wounded-in-afghanistan-remembered-as-positive-dedicated-soldier/
Mon, 21 Jan 2019 10:00:49 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1658698Army Sgt. Cameron A. Meddock was known throughout his small town in Texas as a positive and supportive friend, always willing to help out when someone needed something. Now the town of Spearman is coming together to support his family, in the wake of his death from wounds sustained while deployed to Afghanistan. Meddock, a …Read more]]>

Army Sgt. Cameron A. Meddock was known throughout his small town in Texas as a positive and supportive friend, always willing to help out when someone needed something. Now the town of Spearman is coming together to support his family, in the wake of his death from wounds sustained while deployed to Afghanistan.

Meddock, a 26-year-old Army Ranger, was wounded Sunday by small arms fire while fighting in the Jawad district of Afghanistan’s Badghis province, according to the Pentagon. He died Thursday at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

His wife, Stevie, who is pregnant with their first child, was able to travel from their home in Washington state and be with him, according to a GoFundMe campaign on behalf of Meddock’s father that aims to raise money to help cover the expenses of the family’s hasty travel overseas.

Meddock was a member of the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. This was his second deployment in support of Operation Resolute Support, according to a biography provided by Lt. Col. Loren Bymer, a spokesman for Army Special Operations Command.

“Sgt. Cameron Meddock is one of America’s precious sons,” Col. Brandon Tegtmeier, commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment, wrote in an emailed statement. “The entire nation should strive to emulate the warrior, patriot and husband that Cameron was.”

Meddock and his wife married in 2017 and photos on their Facebook profiles show them hiking together.

Jordon Snider, who attended Spearman High School with Meddock, said his friend was always positive. He laughed thinking about some of the mischief they got into together.

“He was really good to have around and be around,” Snider said. “He always had something positive to say and was always willing to help no matter what you had going on without any expectation of anything.”

Snider launched a GoFundMe campaign as a memorial to help cover future travel expenses for Meddock’s family to visit their soon-to-be-born grandson in Washington. The raised funds will also go to help Meddock’s widow with the expenses of a new baby.

“I’m just trying to get Stevie and his parents as much as we possibly can. I just really want to help them,” Snider said.

Though he and Meddock weren’t as close after high school, Snider said he wasn’t surprised to see Meddock join the Army and become a Ranger. In school, Meddock was a dedicated athlete, playing football and running hurdles with the track team.

“All through school and growing up, he was very dedicated. Whatever he did, he did it 110 percent and made it happen. Whatever he’s doing, he’s doing to its fullest,” Snider said.

Meddock enlisted in November 2014 and completed infantry and airborne training before completing the Ranger selection process at Fort Benning, Ga. He was then assigned to Company A of the 75th Ranger Regiment’s 2nd Ranger Battalion, where he served as a machine gunner, automatic rifleman, gun team leader and most recently a fire team leader.

He was a “phenomenal Ranger,” Lt. Col. Rob McChrystal, commander of 2nd Ranger Battalion, said in a statement.

Meddock’s awards include the Purple Heart, Joint-Service Commendation for Combat, Army Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Good Conduct Medal, and Combat Infantryman’s Badge, among others.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott requested flags at the State Capitol be flown at half-staff to honor Meddock’s service.

“Our prayers for comfort are extended to his family in their time of grief,” Abbott wrote in a letter requesting the flag designation. “I urge all Texans to appropriately remember Sgt. Meddock’s sacrifice made to Texas and the United States.”

]]>Former VA secretary violated ethics rules by allowing employee to drive his wife aroundhttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/former-va-secretary-violated-ethics-rules-by-allowing-employee-to-drive-his-wife-around/
Mon, 21 Jan 2019 09:45:11 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1644702An investigation of former Veterans Affairs secretary David Shulkin largely cleared him of allegations he misused his security detail for shopping and other errands, but concluded he violated ethics rules by allowing his driver to provide transportation for his wife, the VA inspector general said in a report Thursday. Investigators determined Shulkin permitted his driver …Read more]]>

An investigation of former Veterans Affairs secretary David Shulkin largely cleared him of allegations he misused his security detail for shopping and other errands, but concluded he violated ethics rules by allowing his driver to provide transportation for his wife, the VA inspector general said in a report Thursday.

Investigators determined Shulkin permitted his driver to transport his wife on several occasions, in one case to a train station in a government vehicle when he was on duty and in other cases, in his personal vehicle on his own time ostensibly as a favor.

Using government vehicles for unofficial purposes was prohibited in this case, and the personal transportation services would have qualified as a gift, the inspector general concluded. Federal ethics rules bar employees from accepting gifts from subordinate staff.

“Secretary Shulkin was aware that these services, which benefited him at least indirectly, were being offered to his wife,” the inspector general’s report said. “Accordingly, he had an ethical obligation to decline the gift.”

The investigation was triggered by complaints that Shulkin improperly used agents during trips house-hunting and to Home Depot and a furniture store in the weeks after he took office in February 2017.

On those allegations, the inspector general concluded Shulkin had relied on the advice of staff about how much security he needed and when, and it was “within his discretion” to have a security detail accompany him during personal errands and other non-official events.

‘Fundamental failings’ in security

Within the VA division that oversees security details, the investigation turned up a litany of management problems – “fundamental failings” that left Shulkin and other top VA leaders with inadequate security. Among the findings:

• An agent shared information about the secretary’s planned movements with unauthorized individuals on multiple occasions.

• Agents did not wear VA-issued body armor to protect them and protectees

The failures “resulted in security lapses that potentially undermined the safety measures for the VA Secretary,” the inspector general concluded.

Further, investigators found agents improperly parked their personal cars in government spaces, and on one occasion, three agents claimed to be working when in fact they were on a “day-long personal tourist excursion” in Sweden.

The inspector general recommended that the division establish policies and procedures to prevent future security lapses and abuses by agents, that current agency leaders are educated on appropriate uses for details, and that improper payments are recouped and appropriate disciplinary action taken.

VA officials concurred with the findings and said they already have established secure key-storage procedures, started requiring agents to wear body armor and instituted regular testing of panic alarms.

“The (Office of Security and Law Enforcement) is actively working to address the recommendations and has already made significant progress,” wrote Jacquelyn Hayes-Byrd, who was an acting assistant secretary overseeing the office until a permanent assistant was sworn in last week.

The inspector general’s report did not include a response from Shulkin to the findings.

‘Failed communication’

Shulkin was fired by President Donald Trump last March, several weeks after another investigation found he had misused taxpayer dollars on a European trip with his wife in 2017.

It was during that trip that three of the agents in his detail claimed they were working and put in for overtime when in fact they made a personal visit to sight-see in Malmo, Sweden, 20 minutes away from where they were staying in Copenhagen, Denmark, supposedly working on security preparations before the secretary’s arrival.

“We went over there and, you know, got some souvenirs for the kiddos, had lunch, then came back,” one of the agents told investigators, according to the report.

Most Cabinet members have security details because they are at risk of attack because of the high-profile nature of their positions and because they are in the line of succession to the presidency. At the VA, about a dozen agents guard the secretary and deputy secretary.

Shortly after Trump nominated him to be secretary, Shulkin “made it clear that he was very concerned about his own security,” and after he was confirmed, security staff recommended he have “broad coverage” that included three agents and a driver to accompany him.

But “tensions” about his use of security details surfaced within weeks of his taking office, including when they were assigned to protect him during weekend house-hunting and visits to a furniture store and a Home Depot, the inspector general’s report said.

Still, investigators blamed “failed communication” by security officials who “did not effectively orient Secretary Shulkin” or advise him of issues some agents had raised about his using details during personal errands.

“There is no evidence that concerns were raised to him that his use was inappropriate,” the inspector general concluded. “In the absence of instruction to the contrary, the OIG concluded that Secretary Shulkin was within his discretion to use the Executive Protection Division for nonofficial events.”

]]>Veteran celebrates 100th birthday, presented with Quilt of Valorhttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/veteran-celebrates-100th-birthday-presented-with-quilt-of-valor/
Mon, 21 Jan 2019 03:00:35 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1655843Tom Butler has lived 100 years, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as an electrician on destroyer ships, traveled the world, and in general celebrated life. On Saturday, he was awarded a Quilt of Valor to thank him for his service at a birthday party held at the Colonnades Club House in …Read more]]>

Tom Butler has lived 100 years, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as an electrician on destroyer ships, traveled the world, and in general celebrated life.

On Saturday, he was awarded a Quilt of Valor to thank him for his service at a birthday party held at the Colonnades Club House in Lakeland.

JaNeanne G. Miles, a volunteer with Quilt of Valor, presented the quilt she made for Butler, which also had stitching by her mother, Ruby Goff of Alturas.

The Quilts of Valor Foundation is a grassroots group of over 10,00 quilters from all across the nation whose sole dedication is to give quilts to all active service members and veterans.

The foundation was created by Catherine Roberts in 2003, when her son was deployed in Iraq. Since then, over 200,000 quilts have been presented, said Miles.

“We honor you for your service, for your willingness to leave all you hold dear and to stand in harm’s way in a time of crisis for all of us. We know that freedom is never free, and our quilts are meant to say thank you for your many sacrifices. We hope this quilt offers you comfort. When the dark memories return or you just need a hug, wrap this quilt around you and know that you were never forgotten,” Miles told Butler.

When asked the secret to his longevity, he said, “The good Lord above.”

According to Butler’s wife of 32½ years, Durinda, Butler never misses a Sunday in church, eats right, takes vitamins and exercises.

“I didn’t drink nor smoke,” Butler added.

Durinda said both she and Tom had been married and divorced twice. They met in St. Petersburg when she was a greeter at a little church there, and fell in love. When he proposed to Durinda, he asked her if she, being 27 years younger than he, would take care of him in his old age.

She said she would, and the two have been together since.

“He is committed, loyal, easy to get along with and he is quiet,” she said.

Butler was working on the railroad in St. Petersburg when he joined the Navy.

“The Army was after me,” he said with a smile, “So I joined the Navy. There were 10 of us that signed up, and they chose me,” he said.

Anyone who wants to nominate someone for a Quilt of Valor may do so online at https://www.qovf.org/.

Kathy Leigh Berkowitz can be reached at kberkowitz@theledger.com or at 863-802-7558. Follow her on Twitter @kberkowitzthel1.

]]>After China visit, top Navy officer calls for ‘consistency’ to prevent conflict with Beijinghttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/after-china-visit-top-navy-officer-calls-for-consistency-to-prevent-conflict-with-beijing/
Sun, 20 Jan 2019 21:00:12 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1656015The Navy’s top officer on Friday called for consistent actions and messaging between the U.S. and China to prevent unintended conflict in the Western Pacific. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson spoke to reporters at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, where he arrived Wednesday after a four-day visit to China. “I emphasized the importance …Read more]]>

The Navy’s top officer on Friday called for consistent actions and messaging between the U.S. and China to prevent unintended conflict in the Western Pacific.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson spoke to reporters at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, where he arrived Wednesday after a four-day visit to China.

“I emphasized the importance of consistent and habitual communication between our two forces with the goal of making sure we deepen our understanding of each other’s intent,” he said of his China visit. “We use this channel to reduce risk — reduce tension.”

Beijing has repeatedly protested frequent U.S. freedom-of-navigation patrols in the South and East China seas near the Paracel and Spratly islands.

China claims sovereignty over those areas, a claim international law does not recognize. The U.S. Navy patrols those areas, it says, to maintain freedom of navigation there.

Beijing has not routinely challenged U.S. patrols, but a Chinese naval vessel in August nearly collided with the USS Decatur near the Spratly Islands. The Chinese vessel came within 45 yards of the destroyer, a maneuver the Navy at the time called “unsafe and unprofessional.”

Richardson on Tuesday said China should not misinterpret the freedom-of-navigation patrols, pointing to the Navy’s long history of such exercises in the region.

“They should not be seen as provocation. In fact, they’re just the opposite,” he said, adding that the patrols should come as no surprise.

Richardson also committed to continuing the patrols with consistency, underscoring the benefits free navigation offers in trade relations.

“This set of rules and security arrangement that has been in place for the last 70 years has supported, and in many ways enhanced, the tremendous growth across the area and the region — the economic growth in which all nations including China have been beneficiaries,” he said. “[We will] not accept policies or actions that threaten to undermine international rule-based order.”

During Richardson’s visit in China, Gen. Li Zuocheng, the chief of the Chinese military’s Joint Staff Department, warned the U.S. not to support an independent Taiwan, according to the South China Morning Post.

“If anyone wants to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese military will safeguard the national unity at all costs, so as to protect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Li said in a meeting with Richardson in Beijing, according to the newspaper.

Richardson addressed Li’s comment head-on Tuesday, saying he “reiterated very clearly that the United States is committed to the One China policy with respect to Taiwan.” The U.S. has operated under the policy acknowledging Taiwan as part of China for nearly four decades.

“We remain opposed to any sort of unilateral action on either side of the state to change that status quo,” he said.

The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency’s “China Military Power” report published Tuesday overviewing the country’s growing military capabilities expressed concern that China could launch an attack on Taiwan. The report said Beijing’s interest in reunification with the island “has served as the primary driver for China’s military modernization.”

Richardson told reporters Tuesday that the DIA report is “just facts” and was “not meant as a warning or provocation” to China.

Richardson stopped Thursday at Yokosuka Naval Base, where he met with sailors on the waterfront. While there, he toured the USS Benfold in port and met with 7th Fleet commander Vice Adm. Phil Sawyer to discuss “current and future operations” in the region, according to a Navy statement.

Richardson said he would award Japan’s Chief of Maritime Staff, Adm. Yutaka Murakawa, with the Legion of Merit military award Friday on behalf of the U.S. defense secretary in recognition of his work to help the Navy and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force work together “almost seamlessly.”

]]>Court in China’s Guangdong jails human rights lawyer for five yearshttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/court-in-chinas-guangdong-jails-human-rights-lawyer-for-five-years/
Sun, 20 Jan 2019 19:37:11 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1656858This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. Authorities in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong have jailed a human rights lawyer for five years, RFA has learned. Chen Wuquan was found guilty of “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble” by a court in Guangdong’s Zhenjiang city and sentenced to …Read more]]>

This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.

Authorities in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong have jailed a human rights lawyer for five years, RFA has learned.

Chen Wuquan was found guilty of “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble” by a court in Guangdong’s Zhenjiang city and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.

Chen stood trial alongside six co-defendants on Dec. 25, 2018 at the Zhenjiang Economic and Technological Development Zone District People’s Court, his wife Chen Lianjuan said.

His co-defendants were handed jail terms ranging from one year to 18 months in a sentencing decision handed down on Jan. 9, the Weiquanwang rights website reported.

“They allowed the family members of the defendants to sit in on the trial; three relatives per family,” Chen’s wife Chen Lianjuan said. “There was no verdict or sentence announced at the time.”

“They just made recommendations for a sentence of 5-10 years,” she said. “The court informed the lawyers on Jan. 15, and the lawyers told us to go and collect the judgment from the court.”

Chen’s jailing come after he helped residents of Zhenjiang’s Donghai Island to protest against a reclamation project that damaged the offshore environment and affected their livelihoods.

Chen took part in shoreline protests with banners, and initiated an online petition against the project. He and six protesters were detained in February 2018.

Chen Lianjuan said her husband had done nothing wrong.

“Of course I think it’s unfair,” she said. “My husband was in the right, and tried to defend people’s rights using legal means.”
License taken away

Chen became involved in the protest after losing his license to practice law after offering legal assistance to members of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement, which Beijing has designated an “evil cult.”

Chen had also offered legal assistance to blind Shandong dissident Chen Guangcheng, who made a daring escape from house arrest before taking refuge in the U.S. Embassy in April 2012, and who now lives in the U.S.

China frequently withholds the licenses of lawyers who represent “sensitive” and disadvantaged groups, such as those who pursue complaints against official wrongdoing.

“He had already changed from a lawyer into a farmer,” Chen Lianjuan said. “What kind of trouble would he cause after that?”

Guangdong lawyer Tan Yongpei, whose consultancy “club” for lawyers who lost their licenses was raided by police earlier this week, said Chen, a former police officer, had run for the post of village chief in local elections three years earlier, and narrowly lost.

“He won more than 40 percent of the votes, which is anathema to the [ruling] Chinese Communist Party,” Tan said. “It would have been far worse if he had won.”

“His opposition to the reclamation project was just an excuse,” he said. “Chen Wuquan was a human rights attorney, highly educated, with an excellent knowledge of the law.”

He said Chen had been given a harsh jail term in the hope that he wouldn’t trouble the authorities for some time.

“They were afraid of a backlash if they only gave him one year; he is also a former cop, and a lawyer, and that’s two things the authorities are afraid of,” Tan said.

A nationwide police operation under the administration of President Xi Jinping has targeted more than 300 lawyers, law firms, and related activists for questioning, detention, imprisonment, debarring, and travel bans since it launched in July 2015.

President Donald Trump was joined Jan. 19 by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan as the remains of four Americans killed last week in Syria were returned to American soil.

The four were numbered among 14 killed Jan. 16 when a bomb exploded in the Syrian town of Manjib. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the blast.

The remains were flown from Ramstein AB, Germany, to Dover aboard an Air Force C-17 cargo aircraft, arriving before the president’s aircraft, which touched down at the Delaware base at about 10:36 a.m. Trump flew to Dover aboard a modified Boeing C-32 instead of the more familiar VC-25.

The media was on hand as the transfer case containing Wirtz’s remains was the first to be carried out of the C-17.

The president led the official party at Dover, walking from the base military passenger terminal nearby. The group went up the rear ramp of the Globemaster III, where a short prayer was conducted inside the aircraft, out of sight of reporters. The party then left the aircraft and stood to the side as Wirtz’s remains, reposing in a flag-draped aluminum transfer case, was solemnly carried from the C-17 by a military honor team. The six-person team conveyed the case to a waiting van, which drove to the nearby Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs.

The staff at the center, also located on Dover AFB, is tasked with positively identifying each set of remains and preparing them for transfer to their families.

Trump saluted as Wirtz’s body was brought down the airplane’s ramp, while Pompeo, Shanahan, and Secretary of the Army Dr. Mark T. Esper placed their hands over their hearts. Service personnel in the official party also saluted, as did several dozen co-workers and friends of the four Americans, who stood at attention in military formation nearby.

The press did not record the transfers of Farmer, Kent, and Taher as their families declined to grant permission for media coverage. Department of Defense policy requires the family to give their consent for the press to be present at the transfer.

The president had met with family members of each of the fallen beforehand at the passenger terminal and was to attend the transfer services for the others, walking out to the Globemaster each time with the rest of the official party.

Trump had previously announced the trip via a tweet earlier in the morning.

]]>Chinese warships visit Cambodia to ‘strengthen cooperation’ as western influence waneshttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/chinese-warships-visit-cambodia-to-strengthen-cooperation-as-western-influence-wanes/
Sun, 20 Jan 2019 14:50:32 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1655663This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. Three Chinese warships arrived in southern Cambodia’s coastal city of Sihanoukville Wednesday on a visit the two authoritarian governments said will promote stronger bilateral ties, a warming that comes as Western influence wanes in the Southeast Asian nation following an election last …Read more]]>

This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.

Three Chinese warships arrived in southern Cambodia’s coastal city of Sihanoukville Wednesday on a visit the two authoritarian governments said will promote stronger bilateral ties, a warming that comes as Western influence wanes in the Southeast Asian nation following an election last year seen as unfree and unfair.

The ships carrying some 700 crew members will stay in port for four days, during which Xu Haihan, a delegate from the Chinese navy, will meet with Defense Minister Tea Banh and other Cambodian military officials, Ministry of Defense spokesman Chhum Socheat said in a statement posted to his Facebook page.

“The Chinese warship visit will strengthen friendship and cooperation between the Cambodian and Chinese military,” the statement said, noting that Chinese naval vessels have visited Cambodia 17 times in recent years.

China and Cambodia have recently held joint military exercises and Beijing has pledged to help fund a modernization of the Southeast Asian nation’s military.

Meanwhile, China has been pouring investment into Cambodia in recent years, causing some Cambodians to question what type of influence Beijing might have over their government.

The arrival of the Chinese warships comes amid speculation that Beijing is building a 45,000 hectare (111,200-acre) naval base in Cambodia’s Koh Kong province, based on a Nov. 15 report by Hong Kong’s Asia Times online news portal, which cited unnamed diplomatic sources.

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen later dismissed the report, saying such a move would violate the constitution, while Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense called it “fake news” and part of a “foreign campaign to mislead the public and the international community with the intention of destroying the country’s independence and neutrality.”

If such a naval base were built on the Gulf of Thailand, it would allow China to significantly expand patrols on the South China Sea, which Beijing claims much of, while rival Taiwan and ASEAN countries Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam have their own stakes in the waters.

Cambodia has increasingly backed China in disputes with the ASEAN nations over its actions in the sea.

Meanwhile, Western influence in Cambodia is on the decline amid criticism of Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) over rollbacks on democracy in the lead up to and aftermath of a July 29 election in which the CPP effectively ran uncontested and won all 125 seats after a ban of the opposition party.

The CPP overwhelmingly won the election following the Supreme Court’s November 2017 dissolution of the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) and a five-year ban on the political activities of 118 of its senior officials for the party’s role in an alleged plot to topple the government.

The U.S. has since announced visa bans on individuals seen as limiting democracy in the country, as part of a series of measures aimed at pressuring Cambodia to reverse course, and the European Union, which was the second biggest trade partner of Cambodia in 2017, has said it will drop a preferential trade scheme for Cambodian exports based on the country’s election environment.

‘Show of strength’

Political Analyst Kim Sok told RFA’s Khmer Service on Wednesday that China’s visit is meant not only to “strengthen friendship and cooperation” between the two nations, but to demonstrate support of Hun Sen’s regime both financially and militarily.

“The Chinese warship is here as a show of strength against foreign sanctions,” he said, noting that Cambodia hasn’t shown any signs of backing down in the face of Western pressure.

But he warned that as Hun Sen faces a political deadlock and home and increasingly pushes the West away, “he has no choice but to rely on the Chinese.”

RFA was unable to reach CPP spokesman Phay Siphan for comment on Wednesday.

Hun Sen has repeatedly stressed that his country does not need foreign governments to recognize the legitimacy of Cambodia’s elections, saying acceptance by Cambodians is sufficient.

He has also said that he will continue to welcome aid from China, which is poised to overtake the U.S. as the world’s top foreign donor, and which is currently Cambodia’s largest international aid provider.

China, which typically offers aid to countries without many of the prerequisites that the U.S. and EU place on donations, such as improvements to human rights and rule of law, offered “sincere congratulations” to Hun Sen’s party for its showing in July’s polls.

Trade volume between Cambodia and China was valued at U.S. $5.8 billion in 2017, up 22 percent from U.S. $4.76 billion dollars a year earlier, while China is currently Cambodia’s largest investor, and has poured U.S. $12.6 billion into the Southeast Asian nation from 1994 to 2017.

]]>Russians holding protests against possible Kurile handoverhttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/russians-holding-protests-against-possible-kurile-handover/
Sun, 20 Jan 2019 13:18:52 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1655837This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. Russians in Moscow and other cities across the country are participating in protests against the prospect of transferring the disputed Kurile Islands to Japan. На Суворовской площади в Москве начинается митинг «За сохранение территориальной целостности России. Против передачи Курильских островов в состав …Read more]]>

This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.

Russians in Moscow and other cities across the country are participating in protests against the prospect of transferring the disputed Kurile Islands to Japan.

The January 20 protest in Moscow has been sanctioned by the authorities and was organized by a coalition of groups including Left Front, the Party of Action, the Other Russia, Novorossia, and other left-leaning and nationalist organizations.

The Soviet Union seized the four southern-most Kurile Islands from Japan in the closing days of World War II. The dispute over them has prevented the two countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending the hostilities.

In November, Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to accelerate negotiations based on a 1956 Soviet proposal to return the two less populated islands, Shikotan and a group of islets called Habomai.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on January 14 that the two countries still have “substantial disagreements” despite some progress in bringing their positions closer.

Lavrov also warned not to expect progress toward an agreement unless Japan first recognizes Russian sovereignty over the Pacific island chain.

]]>Restaurants offer free or discounted meals to federal employees affected by the shutdownhttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/restaurants-offer-free-or-discounted-meals-to-federal-employees-affected-by-the-shutdown/
Sun, 20 Jan 2019 12:51:05 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1655834With the government shutdown dragging on, local and national restaurants are extending a helping hand to federal employees by offering freebies and discounts. “I have a friend who works for the Internal Revenue Service and was supposed to meet her for lunch last Friday and we hadn’t connected in a while,” said Kim Stafford, vice …Read more]]>

With the government shutdown dragging on, local and national restaurants are extending a helping hand to federal employees by offering freebies and discounts.

“I have a friend who works for the Internal Revenue Service and was supposed to meet her for lunch last Friday and we hadn’t connected in a while,” said Kim Stafford, vice president of Human Resources for Atlas Franchise Management, the largest franchisee in Southern California of the Jimmy John’s sandwich brand. “When I got to her office she was gone.”

That immediately started Stafford thinking that Jimmy John’s should do something to help. “We have a list of all the agencies affected and if folks will come to our stores with an ID we will give them up to three sandwiches free if they come in with a family.” That goes for the 35 participating stores in L.A., Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Other chains helping out federal workers include Punch Bowl Social in Rancho Cucamonga, which has 14 more locations throughout the U.S. The chain is offering a 25 percent discount on games as well as food and beverages. “We understand that the government shutdown affects countless federal workers and their families in Southern California and the Inland Empire. Offering a discounted meal, beverage and games at Punch Bowl Social for federal employees is a way we can extend a small show of support to those impacted by this situation,” said Robert Thompson, founder and CEO of Punch Bowl Social.

Meanwhile, Rock & Brews reached out to TSA employees. “We are proud to operate restaurants at airports and respect the diligent, hard work of each and every TSA employee to ensure the safety of travelers,“ said restaurant founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of Kiss` in a joint video statement released this week. “They touch our lives daily, and as long as they are working without pay, the least we can do is provide them with a delicious meal to show our support.”

The restaurant will offer a choice of a free pulled pork sandwich or a Strawberry Fields salad to TSA employees with ID cards.

Chick-Fil-A in Seal Beach is reaching out to members of the Coast Guard. “Every Friday they can come in and have a free meal on us. Just show their ID,” said Matt Yokoyama, the store’s marketing and catering director. Store owner Scott Carr is a veteran of the Navy and also offers a 50 percent military discount for dine-in meals.

Smaller businesses were also pitching in to help. Hip, gourmet fast casual restaurant Tackle Box will offer a 25 percent discount at both locations in Costa Mesa and Corona del Mar.

Halal hamburger stand, the Burger Spot, in Cypress will give away free meals. “We need to take pressure off the people a little bit,” said owner Mike “Mo” Abdoun. “A lot of people live paycheck to paycheck. We’re a family business and we have our struggles too. So if we can help, we would like to put a smile on their face.” His restaurant will feed the whole family free when a government employee affected by the shutdown presents an ID.

Details for these offers follow, along with some menu information for those unaffected who would just like to support restaurants that are part of the effort. Unless noted, offers will continue throughout the shutdown.

Each Friday the store will offer free meals to families of Coast Guard employees with ID from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. as long as the shutdown lasts. The offer is good at the Seal Beach location only. 12101 Seal Beach Blvd., Seal Beach, 562-430-3060, chick-fil-a.com.

Jimmy John’s

The restaurant is offering a free sandwich for any government employee on the list of agencies affected by the shutdown who presents ID and up to three free sandwiches per family. Popular items include The Big Italian with Italian cold cuts, olive oil and all the fixings; Hunter’s Club with roast beef, provolone, lettuce, tomato and mayo; and Turkey Tom with sliced turkey breast, lettuce, tomato and mayo. Offer available only at 35 participating locations in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. jimmyjohns.com.

Macaroni Grill

As long as the shutdown lasts, Macaroni Grill will serve Mom’s Ricotta Meatballs and Spaghetti to all furloughed government workers who present ID. Offer is good from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Does not include tax or tip, not valid at airport or international locations. macaronigrill.com.

Punch Bowl Social

Games will be included in the 25 percent discount deal for food and beverages offered by this restaurant to government employees who present ID. Includes happy hour, brunch and daily specials. Signature dishes include the Super Food Grain Bowl with quinoa, kale, egg and shiitake mushrooms; tacos with cocoa-dusted carnitas, chorizo or roast chicken or pork. Punch Bowl specializes in alcoholic punch cocktails such as Watermelon Polo Bowl and The King’s Cup. Need to know: ages 21 and older only after 10 p.m. 12635 N. Main St., Rancho Cucamonga, 909-341-7222, punchbowlsocial.com.

Rock & Brews

The restaurant will offer one free item to TSA employees working without pay who present ID. Choose from Strawberry Fields salad or a pulled pork sandwich. The offer is good for one meal a day at all free-standing Rock & Brews locations. Due to security limitations, airport, arena and casino locations are excluded, but the offer will extend until the end of the shutdown at participating locations in L.A., Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. rockandbrews.com.

]]>Honor Flight organizer Jack Barnes remembered for supporting veteranshttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/honor-flight-organizer-jack-barnes-remembered-for-supporting-veterans/
Sun, 20 Jan 2019 12:38:45 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1655660Jack Randal Barnes, who initiated honor flights to Washington, D.C., to enable veterans to visit memorials to wars in which they fought, died Dec. 28 in Amarillo. He was 68. Barnes, who was a native of Perryton, took a leadership role in community efforts to honor veterans by organizing flights for those who served in …Read more]]>

Jack Randal Barnes, who initiated honor flights to Washington, D.C., to enable veterans to visit memorials to wars in which they fought, died Dec. 28 in Amarillo.

He was 68.

Barnes, who was a native of Perryton, took a leadership role in community efforts to honor veterans by organizing flights for those who served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

He was himself a veteran who had enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1971, and served until 1975. Following separation from the Navy, he attended West Texas A&M University, where he received a bachelor of business degree in 1978. After college, he returned to the Navy and served until 1995 before retiring with the rank of chief petty officer.

He has served as a member of the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce Aviation Committee, and was a founder of the Texas Aviation Historical Society.

Barnes was known across the Panhandle and West Texas for his work as an organizer of honor flights for veterans. His first flight, which left Amarillo in September 2008, provided an expense-paid, three-day trip to Washington for those who had served. In 2012, the Panhandle Honor Flight was chosen as the Premier Honor Flight in America.

In 2013, he joined the Board of Directors of the American Fallen Warrior Memorial Foundation, and supported the organization’s mission to build a National War on Terror Memorial and Museum in Kansas City, Kansas.

He recently was active in a project designed to obtain a Congressional Gold Medal for those who survived the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis in World War II, and was a friend to Cleatus Lebow of Memphis, Texas, who was among the survivors.

Barnes was a member of the Texas Navy Association, and led Amarillo’s Loop 335 Highway Project that designated the loop as Veterans Highway.

]]>Navy dumps equivalent of 50 truckloads of hazardous material into Puget Sound, Washington state AG sayshttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/navy-dumps-equivalent-of-50-truckloads-of-hazardous-material-into-puget-sound-washington-state-ag-says/
Sat, 19 Jan 2019 23:00:58 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1651954The U.S. Navy dumped the equivalent of 50 truckloads of highly toxic hazardous waste into Puget Sound and must be stopped before it does so again, according to Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson. The Navy provides dock space at Naval Base Kitsap for decommissioned, nonoperational vessels to be dismantled, recycled and disposed of. While …Read more]]>

The U.S. Navy dumped the equivalent of 50 truckloads of highly toxic hazardous waste into Puget Sound and must be stopped before it does so again, according to Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson.

The Navy provides dock space at Naval Base Kitsap for decommissioned, nonoperational vessels to be dismantled, recycled and disposed of. While cleaning the ship Independence at the yard in January 2017 before shipment to Texas for disposal, the Navy dumped the scraped-off paint into Sinclair Inlet, in violation of state and federal laws, according to a news release issued by Ferguson.

“You would think we would be at the stage where everybody, but especially the federal government, understands you can’t just scrape a vessel into Puget Sound. It is the equivalent of dumping 50 dump trucks of hazardous material into the inlet. It’s insane,” Ferguson said in an interview Thursday.

Ferguson’s office notified the Navy on Thursday of the state’s intent to join a suit in federal court to ask the Navy to clean up the mess and to require the Navy to stop scraping ships at Navy Base Kitsap and dumping the material in Sinclair Inlet.

“People have this idea that we are past the days that there isn’t just open dumping into our waters, but this demonstrates all too clearly that is not true,” Ferguson said. Marine life, including salmon, is at risk because of the Navy’s illegal practice of releasing highly toxic pollutants including copper and zinc, Ferguson said.

The Navy was scraping antifouling paint to remove possible invasive species before moving the ship. The Navy still has not contained the paint chips, which continue to leach pollutants into Puget Sound, according to Ferguson’s office.

“What we are doing is making sure the Navy follows environmental laws,” Ferguson said. “What they have done has resulted in significant damage to Puget Sound and we need to solve that problem and keep them from doing it again.”

No one at the naval base returned a call and email for comment Thursday.

In their suit the tribe and nonprofits allege multiple violations of the state Clean Water Act by the Navy by releasing toxic substances into the inlet without a permit while cleaning a decommissioned aircraft carrier, the Independence.

Ferguson said his office decided to advise the Navy the state intends to join the suit after the Navy produced a report last October about what was in the materials scraped off the ship into the Sound. Another ship is also due for similar treatment, Ferguson said.

]]>Trump proposes 3-year DACA extension in exchange for $5.7B for border wall to end shutdownhttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/trump-offers-3-year-daca-extension-in-exchange-for-5-7b-for-border-wall-to-end-shutdown/
Sat, 19 Jan 2019 21:44:25 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1653148In a rare Saturday address from the White House, President Donald Trump addressed what he called a “humanitarian and security crisis” at the southern U.S. border, and he proposed a compromise to Congressional Democrats in order to end the partial government shutdown that is now in its 29th day – the longest lapse of federal …Read more]]>

In a rare Saturday address from the White House, President Donald Trump addressed what he called a “humanitarian and security crisis” at the southern U.S. border, and he proposed a compromise to Congressional Democrats in order to end the partial government shutdown that is now in its 29th day – the longest lapse of federal funding in history.

Trump outlined his latest proposal that he says Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will bring forth this week. His proposal includes allowing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and temporary protected status (TPS) programs for some immigrants to temporarily continue, in exchange for the nearly $6 billion he wants for border security.

The proposal includes $5.7 billion for strategic deployment of physical barriers, or steel slats, along key points of the U.S. borer with Mexico; $800 million in “urgent humanitarian assistance;” $805 million for drug detection technology; an additional 2,750 border agents and law enforcement officials; and 75 new immigration judge teams in order to reduce the court backlog of nearly 900,000 immigration cases, Trump said.

In exchange for that, the proposal includes three years of legislative relief for 700,000 DACA recipients, or “dreamers,” “brought here unlawfully by their parents many years ago,” Trump said, which would mean they would have access to apply for work permits, Social Security numbers and be temporarily protected from deportation.

It also provides a three-year extension of TPS, meaning “300,000 immigrants whose protected status is facing expiration will now have three more years of certainty so Congress can work on an immigration deal,” Trump explained.

“This is a common sense compromise both parties should embrace,” the President pointed out. “The radical left can never control our borders. I will never let it happen. Walls are not immoral. In fact, they are the opposite – they will save many lives.”

President Donald Trump: “The radical Left can never control our borders. I will never let it happen.”

Trump said the plan – which provides for border security, DACA, TPS and “many other things” – is “straightforward, fair, reasonable and common sense.”

“Whatever we do, I can promise you this: I will never forget that my first duty and loyalty is to you, the American people,” the President added. “Any reforms we make to our immigration system will be designed to improve your lives.”

It had been reported prior to the President’s speech that Democrats were calling the proposal a “non-starter.”

Trump then last March signed a $1.3 billion appropriations bill that did not include funding for a border wall or DACA; he said he considered vetoing the bill but signed it in order to fund the government.

This year, Trump has not budged on his promise of better border security, something he also campaigned on.

“As a candidate, I promised I would fix this crisis. I intend to keep that promise one way or the other,” Trump said Saturday. “Our immigration system should be the subject of pride, not a source of shame that it is all over the world.”

“It can be solved – but only if we have the political courage to do what is just and right,” the President stressed, adding that both sides need to “come together and listen, reach across the aisle and find solutions.”

The government remains partially shut down because Congress cannot pass a bipartisan appropriations act that would fund the entire government, a bill that Trump says must include nearly $6 billion to fund a southern border wall. Trump and Congressional Democrats remain in a standoff over the wall – Trump wants one and won’t budge on his position, while Democrats refuse to fund a border wall.

There are roughly 800,000 federal workers affected by the partial shutdown; 420,000 of those employees are working without pay while others are furloughed.

The main obstacle in garnering bipartisan approval for a federal appropriations bill has been the $5.7 billion Trump insists must be included to secure the southern border.

The government has remained partially shut down since Dec. 22, 2018. In the meantime, hundreds of thousands of federal workers aren’t being paid, and many federal services aren’t being offered. The FDA isn’t offering some inspections, many national parks are closed, immigration courts aren’t open, and many museums are also closed.

]]>Austin unlawfully blocked gun holder from City Hall, judge ruleshttps://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/01/austin-unlawfully-blocked-gun-holder-from-city-hall-judge-rules/
Sat, 19 Jan 2019 21:00:28 +0000https://americanmilitarynews.com/?p=1651782A Travis County judge has ruled that the city of Austin violated state open carry gun laws when it blocked a licensed firearms holder from entering City Hall on multiple days in 2016. State District Judge Lora Livingston fined the city $9,000. Her ruling came Thursday, a week after the judge presided over a two-day …Read more]]>

A Travis County judge has ruled that the city of Austin violated state open carry gun laws when it blocked a licensed firearms holder from entering City Hall on multiple days in 2016.

State District Judge Lora Livingston fined the city $9,000. Her ruling came Thursday, a week after the judge presided over a two-day trial centered on a lawsuit from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office.

The suit stated security guards at City Hall blocked local gun store owner Michael Cargill, who has a concealed gun permit, from entering the building on multiple occasions. The building had a sign etched in glass prohibiting the presence of guns even though, the suit argued, City Hall was not exempt under the state law.

Cargill told the American-Statesman on Thursday that he complained to the city in July 2016 after he was denied entry to the building. When he returned days later and was again told to leave, he alerted Paxton’s office.

After the judge’s ruling, Cargill went to City Hall on Thursday with his Sig Sauer 1911 pistol, showed guards his license to carry a handgun and entered without incident.

“This means that every city and county, municipality and property, needs to follow the law,” Cargill said. “This means we absolutely were correct since we won in Travis County — a blue dot in a sea of red.”

In a statement, Paxton said, “The district court’s ruling preserves and protects the Second Amendment rights of Texans and sends a strong message to the city of Austin that they are bound by the same laws as all other Texans.

“The city of Austin cannot violate the open carry law or any other law the Texas Legislature has enacted simply because they disagree with it,” Paxton said. “If the city of Austin appeals the district court’s decision, my office will continue to strongly defend the right of law-abiding Texans to keep and bear arms in accordance with our handgun laws.”

City officials released a statement saying they will continue to ban guns at City Hall during certain events.

“We are disappointed because City Hall is a multifunctional building that is at times a court facility, a polling place, a location for educational activities and the location of City Council meetings, all of which meet the state legislature’s conditions for restricting the carrying of handguns,” the statement says. “Consistent with the Court’s order, we will continue to ban handguns from City Hall during those times when the legislature’s limitations allow, and we will be amending our communications to clarify when our handgun ban will be in effect.”

The attorney general’s office had asked Livingston to make Austin comply with the law, which states only certain government buildings, such as courthouses and those that have school functions, are gun-free. The judge denied that request, saying there’s no reason to believe Austin will not abide by the law going forward.

Livingston did fine the city $1,500 for each of the six days that Paxton’s office said guards denied Cargill and attorney general investigators entrance to City Hall.